Ethereum whales add $1B in ETH — Is the accumulation trend hinting at a $5K ETH price?

From cointelegraph by BIRAAJMAAN TAMULY

Ethereum’s native token, currently ranks as the only cryptocurrency in the top 10 by market capitalization to show a negative return over the past 30 days.

Top 10 crypto assets by market cap. Source: CoinGecko

With crowd sentiment dropping to a new low each week, the altcoin is desperate for a bullish revival, and onchain data suggests it might come sooner than later.

Ethereum addresses add 330,000 Ether in 2 weeks

MAXPAIN, a crypto markets analyst,  highlighted  that Ether addresses holding between 1,000 to 10,000 ETH have accumulated 330,000 ETH since Jan. 7, valued at over $1.08 billion.

Ether whale address analysis. Source: X

Previously, ETH accumulation of such size occurred in April, when the same cohort of addresses amassed over 620,000 ETH. The altcoin witnessed a 66% upswing thereafter.

The crypto trader also noted the consequent increase in daily active addresses, with network growth rising to 180,000, which may imply a fresh capital inflow.

Bitcoin, Ethereum spot trading volume. Source: CryptoQuant

Conversely, Percival, a verified onchain analyst on CryptoQuant,  shed  light on the key difference between ETH spot market transactions in 2021, 2024 and 2025. The analyst explained that ETH transaction volumes dropped from $52 billion in January 2021 to $8 billion in 2025, a staggering 84% reduction. The trader added,

“This means that the demand for Ethereum in this bull market is considerably lower.”

Thus, despite whales adding ETH to their wallets, retail interest has taken a major hit during this bull run.

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Will an inverse head-and-shoulders pattern send ETH to $5,000?

With most of the market moving on from Ether’s lackluster performance over the past month, multiple traders were eyeing the current market setup as a potential bullish opportunity.

Ethereum weekly chart analysis. Source: X

Jelle, a long-term crypto investor,  identified  the formation of an inverse head-and-shoulders pattern within another bullish setup of ascending triangles on the weekly chart.

The probability of a bullish breakout improves significantly with the price converging within a couple of bullish confluences, as the analyst hinted at the possibility of price discovery for the altcoin.

In fact, Alec, a derivative trader,  said  Ether was developing a tightening on both the 30-minute low time frame (LTF) and 1-day high time frame (HTF). With liquidity present on both sides of the spectrum, the trader said,

“A larger move is on the horizon for ETH. Take the liquidity and run the opposite way? But which way??

Lastly, Cold Blooded Shiller, a markets analyst, opined on the dismissive nature of the industry on Ethereum right now and said,

“$5k $ETH by March, and this will be the saltiest space on Earth.”

While $5,000 is an attainable target for Ether, its immediate hurdle remains at the $4,100 level. Since 2024, Ethereum has managed to break above a descending trendline on two separate occasions, but the overhead resistance at $4,100 has not been breached.

Ethereum 1-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Thus, for Ethereum to target $5,000, the immediate condition is to flip $4,100 into support on the daily and weekly chart. Once the price action has been accepted above the aforementioned level, Ether could rally to $5,000, but until then, the altcoin still needs to rally against bearish odds.

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